Shloka 96

Devanagari script

धर्मपत्नीरतो नित्यमग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्‌ । जो अपनी ही धर्मपत्नीमें अनुराग रखते हुए निरन्तर तीन वर्षोतक प्रतिदिन एक समय भोजन करके रहता है, उसे अग्निष्टोम यज्ञका फल प्राप्त होता है,द्वाविंशे दिवसे प्राप्ते यो भुडक्ते होकभोजनम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | dharmapatnīrato nityam agniṣṭomaphalaṃ labhet | dvāviṃśe divase prāpte yo bhuṅkte ekabhोजनम् |

Translation

Bhishma said: “A man who is ever devoted to his lawful wife attains the merit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice. Likewise, one who, when a fixed period is completed (here indicated as the twenty-second day), eats only a single meal with disciplined restraint, gains sacrificial merit as well.”

Word by Word

धर्मपत्नीin (his) lawful wife

रतःdevoted/attached

नित्यम्always

अग्निष्टोमफलम्the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma (sacrifice)

लभेत्would obtain

द्वाविंशेon the twenty-second

दिवसेon the day

प्राप्तेwhen (it) has arrived

यःwho

भुङ्क्तेeats

एकभोजनम्a single meal (once-a-day eating)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Agniṣṭoma (yajña)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That steadfast fidelity to one’s lawful spouse and disciplined restraint in eating (a regulated vow such as eating once) are themselves powerful dharmic practices, capable of producing merit comparable to major Vedic sacrifices like the Agniṣṭoma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he praises household virtues—devotion to one’s dharmic marriage and self-control—by equating their spiritual fruit with that of a renowned yajña, thereby emphasizing accessible ethical observances over costly ritual performance.